Sugar bonds with proteins in a woman’s body in a process called glycation. These sugar-bonded proteins produce free radicals which destroy your collagen and elastin, the building blocks that keep your skin strong and supple. They also harden collagen and elastin, and prevent the body from making more. All these effects mean your skin loses its elasticity, lines and wrinkles start to set in, and signs of aging become more visible.

Women spend hundreds to multiple thousands of dollars per year on their appearance. And are now taking greater care of their faces and skin health than ever before; attempting to look forever young. The average cost of a woman’s face is $8 per day. 85% of women apply an average of 16 skincare and cosmetic products every day from eye creams, to moisturizers, cleansers & foundations to brow products. But, she might as well spend $0.00 per day if she does not also address the root cause of premature aging (in the form of wrinkles and sagging skin) caused by the destruction of collagen in her body by way of the over-consumption of processed sugar.

Collagen is a protein your body makes that keeps your skin looking young.It makes your skin firm, tight, and elastic, but as you age, your body slows down on producing collagen and the collagen that you have left becomes damaged by the sun, pollution, smoking cigarettes, and is rapidly destroyed by the over the consumption of processed sugars; over the daily recommended limit. As a result, your skin starts to sag and the elasticity great diminishes resulting in wrinkles, and crepe skin especially on the face, hands and upper arms.

But I Drink Diet Beverages and Use Artificial Sweeteners.

Even Worse! Numerous medical research studies have found artificial sweeteners like saccharin, sucralose and aspartame change the population of healthy gut bacteria. And those changes affect how well our bodies metabolize sugar.

Artificial sweeteners are not digested by the body, which is why they have no calories. But, they still pass through our gastrointestinal tract, where they encounter the numerous bacteria that thrive in our guts. These bacteria play an important role in our physiology, including how we process glucose and other sugars. And the studies have concluded that artificial sweeteners somehow change the natural balance of the numerous bacteria to the point that they do not process refined sugars properly.

But I Do Not Use Sugar.

Yes you do, you are just unaware as to how much.

Understanding Sugars.

Natural sugars are found in fruit as fructose and in dairy products, such as milk and cheese, as lactose. Foods with natural sugar have an important role in the diet of cancer patients and anyone trying to prevent cancer because they provide essential nutrients that keep the body healthy and help prevent disease.

Refined sugar comes from sugar cane or sugar beets, which are processed to extract the sugar. It is typically found as sucrose, which is the combination of glucose and fructose. We use white and brown sugars to sweeten cakes and cookies, coffee, cereal and even fruit. Food manufacturers add chemically produced sugar, typically high-fructose corn syrup, to foods and beverages, including crackers, flavored yogurt, tomato sauce and salad dressing. Low-fat foods are the worst offenders, as manufacturers use sugar to add flavor.

Most of the processed foods we eat add calories and sugar with little nutritional value.In contrast, fruit and unsweetened milk have vitamins and minerals. Milk also has protein and fruit has fiber, both of which keep you feeling full longer.

How the body metabolizes the sugar in fruit and milk differs from how it metabolizes the refined sugar added to processed foods. The body breaks down refined sugar rapidly, causing insulin and blood sugar levels to skyrocket. Because refined sugar is digested quickly, you don’t feel full after you’re done eating, no matter how many calories you consumed. The fiber in fruit slows down metabolism, as fruit in the gut expands to make you feel full.

Finding Added Sugars in Food.

Unfortunately, you can’t tell easily by looking at the nutrition facts panel of a food if it contains added sugars. The line for “sugars” includes both added and natural sugars. Naturally occurring sugars are found in milk (lactose) and fruit (fructose). Any product that contains milk (such as yogurt, milk or cream) or fruit (fresh, dried) contains some natural sugars.

Reading the ingredient list on a processed food’s label can tell you if the product contains added sugars, just not the exact amount if the product also contains natural sugars.

Furthermore, some products include terms related to sugars. Here are some common terms and their meanings:

Sugar-Free – less than 0.5 g of sugar per serving

Reduced Sugar or Less Sugar – at least 25 percent less sugars per serving compared to a standard serving size of the traditional variety

No Added Sugars or Without Added Sugars – no sugars or sugar-containing ingredient such as juice or dry fruit is added during processing

Low Sugar – not defined or allowed as a claim on food labels

Although you can’t isolate the calories per serving from added sugars with the information on a nutrition label, it may be helpful to calculate the calories per serving from total sugars (added sugars and naturally occurring sugars). To do this, multiply the grams of sugar by 4 (there are 4 calories per 1 gram of sugar). For example, a product containing 15 g of sugar has 60 calories from sugar per serving.

Keep in mind that if the product has no fruit or milk products in the ingredients, all of the sugars in the food are from added sugars. If the product contains fruit or milk products, the total sugar per serving listed on the label will include added and naturally occurring sugars.